


I Wish... I know

by Arabesqueangel



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Be Careful What You Wish For, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Pining Loki (Marvel), Wish Fulfillment, Wishes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 08:10:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20870996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arabesqueangel/pseuds/Arabesqueangel
Summary: If you could wish for anything... have reality shaped to your desires, just what would you wish for? It doesn't take Loki more than a moment to decide. He knows what he wants. But when it's hard to find his footing and tell just what has changed in this altered reality, Loki realizes that he maybe should have given it slightly more than a moments thought... and maybe a bit of sleep as well.





	I Wish... I know

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Missed me? I know I missed you! Sorry I've been MIA for a while. It's been absolutely insane at work lately and I've only been able to write in fits and spurts. But here I am with another Bingo fill! This one is G1: AU - Make a Wish. 
> 
> Oh, and the title is a line from the song "No One is Alone" from Into the Woods. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Loki was frowning down at the object in his hand. He had been doing this for several hours thus far, but the object had yet to reveal its mysteries to him. He was hesitant to use magic at this stage in his exploration. Too many times as a young, foolhardy student had he led with magic and ended up getting himself blown up or, once, turned into a weasel; Thor still hadn’t let him forget that one. So Loki was left to frowning for now, turning over the orb in his hands, examining the curving lines that ran all around it that didn’t appear to be any language or symbols, at least none that the Allspeak could determine. 

“Still haven’t figured that little dodad out, Gandalf?” Loki didn't even look up as Tony Stark entered the room without knocking. To be fair, it was his own lab, but since he knew that Loki was examining an unknown, potentially volatile relic, knocking before entering couldn’t go astray. 

“Actually, I found out its purpose hours ago, Stark,” Loki drawled, continuing to affix his attention on the orb. “I’m currently staring because if I look away it will explode.”

Unfortunately, Loki couldn’t enjoy the look on Stark’s face at his ruse, but the man’s choked, “Wait… really?” was satisfying enough. 

“No,” Loki scoffed, finally looking over at the hero so that he could properly appreciate Loki’s dramatic eye roll. Of course, that meant that Loki could also properly appreciate his first view of Tony Stark in several hours as well, bonus. 

Loki had been helping the Avengers as part of his reparations for assisting Thanos in his machinations to get the Space Stone for a year now. It would have been a much worse sentence, Loki was sure, but Thor had listened to him, had allowed Loki to share his memories of when Thanos had plucked him from the void and had seen what saying no to Thanos would have meant. He still wasn’t completely innocent of all crimes, but Loki could think of far worse punishments than this one. 

And that mostly had to do with how Loki had fallen head over heels in love with the hero in front of him. In their brief acquaintance, when Loki was last on Earth, which primarily consisted of bantering and then Loki throwing him out a window, Loki had been intrigued by Stark’s pure cockiness and intelligence. That interest had only grown over time and blossomed into far more complicated and deep feelings. 

Stark, for his part, had been the first to accept Loki’s presence, even providing Loki with his own rooms in the tower. He had certainly been wary, as he should have been, but he had treated Loki with a cautious friendliness from the beginning, which had been more than Loki could have hoped for. Was certainly far more than any of the other Avengers, except Thor, had provided. Loki was reasonably sure at this point that Stark genuinely enjoyed his company, but he was just as sure that it went no further than that. Stark was attractive, rich, intelligent and wanted by no end of Midgardians of all genders; there was no reason for him to settle for Loki. Still, it was fine; Loki could enjoy his company, bask in the banter, delight in the intelligent discovery, and that would just have to be enough. There was no hope for anything else. 

“So the great God of Mischief is baffled huh? Centuries of magic schooling and an ancient metal baseball alludes you? I have to say, Lokes, I’m disappointed in you.” Stark pulled an overblown woeful face, shaking his head solemnly. 

“If I knew all of the mysteries of the universe, where would the fun be?” Loki asked. 

“Well, you do have a point there, Reindeer Games,” Stark said with a wink that made Loki’s stomach flutter in a way that he’d never admit to anyone. 

“So, now that you are done with your tedious company obligations, would you like to try your hand? See if your science can puzzle it out?” Loki offered, holding the orb out to the scientist. 

“What did your magic tell you?” Stark asked, taking the relic from Loki’s hand greedily. 

Loki explained his reservations in using investigatory magic and Stark nodded along. “I will start, though, if your science leads us nowhere. I do not intend on leaving this mystery unsolved.”

“Well then I guess I better get to work if I want to win and prove once again that science beats magic, huh?” Stark waggled his eyebrows at Loki briefly before turning to the task at hand. 

Loki didn’t leave, he enjoyed watching the man at work far too much. So he stayed, offered suggestions, provided a sounding board for Stark’s never ending ramblings, but mostly he concentrated on trying to keep a soppy, adoring look off his face. After several hours, even Anthony, who could spend days on end working out a problem, started to waver. His eyes drooped as if they were getting heavy. He started ducking his head, just barely catching it before it hit the table. If Loki was a better man, he would usher the genius to bed, tuck him in with a blanket and wishes of sweet dreams. But Tony was just as adorable falling asleep as he was when he was intent on a project. So, Loki just let him be.

Once Tony was snoring, and after Loki took videographic proof since the inventor would deny everything, Loki swiped the orb back and went back to studying it himself. Science was not the answer it seemed. With a heavy sigh and a nervous stomach, Loki decided to probe with a bit of magic. He just lightly swept the exterior of the orb, yes there was definitely something there, under the surface. Loki let loose a little more magic, sliding it along the curved lines. With the intense focus of his magic and the deeper impression he could get with it than his own hands, Loki noticed that there were breaks in the swirls. He moved his magic through one of the breaks and sought out it’s other part, finding it on the other side of the sphere. 

Oh, it was a puzzle. Loki just needed to find where all the breaks met one another. Loki put a bit of force behind his magic and sure enough, the orb was in segments that could be moved. Loki released his magic and tried to move them with his hands. The orb stayed stubbornly still. This was something that could only be solved by magic. Loki looked over at the inventor currently snuffling into his arm. He couldn’t wait to rub it in Tony’s face that he had solved it and it could only be done through magic. 

It was laughably simple after that point. Loki moved around the pieces, sometimes having to backtrack when he went in the wrong direction for a step. It reminded him of a puzzle on Midgard that Tony was rather fond of toying with as something to keep his hands busy. It was like a round Rubix cube. It was only minutes before Loki was down to the final moves. As the last piece locked into place all the lines suddenly formed into words that were clearly readable through Loki’s AllSpeak

_ You’ve solved the puzzle, now claim the prize. One wish, big or small, is yours to receive. Riches beyond your imagining or reality altered as you imagine. Merely speak your choice. _

Loki shivered. There was powerful magic practically oozing from the orb. He could feel it twining around him, waiting for his command. Did he dare? Could he speak what he truly wanted? Could he take this world and make it his own? He wouldn’t change much, he realized. In so many ways Loki loved the life he currently led, even if he wasn’t overly fond of how he had gotten there. He could make himself not Jotun, but how could he control the events that would spiral from there? He may have never met Tony Stark if that was the case, and Loki couldn’t imagine a world where he could be truly happy with that. No, Loki knew the wish he would make. 

“I wish... to live in a world where Anthony Stark loves me.”

**********

Loki woke to the sight of big brown eyes looking down at him. The look on Anthony Stark’s face was softer than Loki was used to and for a moment, Loki wondered just what kind of world he had woken up in; then he remembered. Oh, he was waking up with Tony. The wish had worked! 

“Alrighty, Maleficent. Time to get up!” Stark shoved at Loki’s shoulder lightly and Loki almost toppled off the bench he had apparently spent the night on. “We gotta get to our rooms pronto before Thor and Steve realize that we spent all night in the lab… again.”

“Our rooms?” Loki asked sleepily, hoping that in his blurry exhaustion he had misheard. Surely in Loki’s dream reality they wouldn’t part to sleep separately.

“I mean, you do you, but I’m headed to my room. I don’t like Steve on my ass any more than you like Thor on yours.” Tony chuckled and puttered around for a moment, making sure he had grabbed everything he needed. “See you after a few hours horizontal. Good luck!” 

Tony saluted and just like that he had left the lab. Loki couldn’t say that his first few moments in what was supposed to be his ideal world had gone according to plan. Tony wasn’t acting any differently than he had before. A horrible thought struck Loki then.

What if this was like when you made a wish with a genie? If you weren’t amazingly specific, they would twist that wish into something that fit the words, but not the desire behind it. What if the orb created a world where Tony loved Loki, but just as a brother, as a friend? That might be even worse than before. 

No, one short interaction was not enough to determine whether the wish had worked. Perhaps they were early days yet into their relationship and not yet sharing a room. Loki would need some time with a well-rested and awake Tony to really determine how the wish had gone. But first, he could use some sleep of his own, in a bed preferably. 

But, Loki couldn’t sleep. He tossed and he turned, his thoughts writhing even more than his body. After two hours he gave the game up and decided that food was the path of least resistance. Figuring that it was still a bit early for any of the Avengers to be up for breakfast yet, Loki made his way wearily to the kitchen. 

Of course, he had only just gotten himself some eggs and toast when Barton joined him. Loki could practically feel the Archer’s gaze on him and Loki squirmed uncomfortably. He was nervous, but it was far worse that he was actually showing it in front of Barton. Inevitably Barton felt the need to comment on it. Of course, he did; anything that made Loki that uncomfortable would be something Barton would feel he needed to know about.

“So, where’s Tony?” Barton asked casually; perhaps too casually? Had Barton learned to read minds?

“How should I know any better than you do? I assume he’s asleep.”

“Well it seems like the two of you have been joined at the hip lately; so I figured if he wasn’t around you’d at least know where he’d run off to.”

That comment could really go either way. It could indicate a relationship or it could just be a comment on them working together on the orb the last few days. The orb. Loki didn’t remember seeing it when he woke up in the lab. Tony didn’t mention it either when he was rushing them to bed. Could it maybe not exist in a world it had created? He should dig a bit deeper; he may not be able to discern anything for sure, but more information was always a good thing.

“We have been working hard on the secret of the orb the last few days.”

Barton snorted. “Yeah, but it's not like you’re known for your work ethic.”

“And what do you mean by that?” Loki asked, his back stiffening.

“Well, you’re a prince,” Clint said, like that explained everything.

“Yes, I was a prince,” Loki agreed, casually inserting the past tense. He certainly wasn’t that any more, no matter what the royal family liked to pretend, but that was not what was being debated here. “I was the second prince.” 

“Exactly!” Barton said. “You weren’t going to be king.”

“Are you trying to imply that because I wasn’t going to be king I didn’t work hard?”

Barton actually nodded.

“So, you believe that any prince or princess who isn’t the heir to the throne is allowed to just go out, cavort and flit about?” Loki asked, not even bothering to mask the scorn in his voice.

Barton didn’t answer here. Instead his eyes got a glazed look that spoke of his mind no longer being on their conversation. Then he frowned.

“Barton?”

“I was picturing you cavorting. I don’t like it; it’s disturbing.” Loki couldn’t help but snort a little laugh. 

“Barton, I had even more duties than Thor did. Worse, I couldn’t skive off on the ones I didn’t like to favor sparring or hunting or any other ‘noble’ pursuits. No, I had to study law, strategy and politics and all the actual skills required in running an entire realm when your King has no actual interest in such.”

Once again Barton frowned, but this time it was actually at Loki. It wasn’t the accusatory frown Loki was used to, but more like he was trying to figure Loki out. Loki shrugged, trying to dispel some of the awkwardness. Barton looking at him in something other than disgust had to be more disturbing than the image of Loki cavorting. 

“I  _ do _ find these ‘jobs’ your Avengers assign both less tasking than my previous occupation and much easier to let go.”

Barton glared and Loki smirked. There, that was better. Now at their usual stalemate, Loki and Barton concentrated on their breakfasts, non-verbally agreeing to call a temporary truce. They were soon joined by Romanoff who, fortunately, was no more of a morning person than Loki was. She was completely silent in her morning meal preparation and was, therefore, welcome. Then Rogers decided to show up.

“What are you doing up so early, Loki?” Rogers asked, far too politely. 

“What do you care?” Loki snarled back. 

Rogers… flinched. It was barely something Loki would even call a wince. More of a stuttered, unhappy surprise than anything that dramatic. Still, Loki felt far worse than he should have. Was he in a world where he and Rogers got along? Loki could barely contemplate the possibility. 

Really, Loki should have learned his lesson. Never deal with powerful, temperamental magic when you haven’t slept. It was a very simple, useful rule and would have saved him all of this agonizing over whether he was in an alternate reality or not. His only real clue would be Stark, considering he was the only one Loki had actually wished to change. But Loki suspected it would be far more difficult than it should be to get a clear answer from Tony’s behavior. 

Tony was a very effusive person, especially with the people he loved. With Ms. Potts and Col. Rhoades it would be hands on their shoulders, bright smiles and affectionate nicknames. But then again, he was like that with all the Avengers as well. Though, with Loki there was a lot less touching. Loki always figured that Stark knew that Loki wouldn’t react well to casual touches and refrained. Well, it was that or Tony didn’t care for him at all and Loki really didn’t want to consider that possibility. With all the physical and vocal overtures, still Loki wasn’t sure he’d ever heard Tony tell someone he loved them, even in a casual manner. He was more the type to show his affection in his actions. Considering that the only difference Loki could see between the people Tony loved and himself was touching, even a hand on the shoulder wouldn’t necessarily negate the ‘love Loki as a friend’ theory. 

By the time Tony actually showed up in the kitchen, Loki was a jittery mess. He felt like he had drunk several pots of coffee more than his current few cups. 

“Morning guys!” Tony said with a lopsided, sleepy smile, patting both Loki and Thor’s shoulders. Tony then turned his head so that only Loki could see and gave him a conspiratorial wink.

Loki was so surprised he almost fell out of his stool. When he finally managed to right himself, after far longer than it probably should have taken if his long legs hadn’t been feeling particularly unwieldy, everyone was staring at him. Which, was probably fair, he was normally a bit more graceful than that. Still, he chose not to acknowledge it, bending over his third cup of coffee and not making eye contact.

“So… that happened,” Tony acknowledged while getting his own mug of coffee. 

Loki refused to look up. He could feel the blush rising on his face. Could also feel Thor’s eyes digging into the side of his head. He was sure there were more. But he would not look up. 

“So, what’s the plan for the day, Tony? More meetings?” Rogers asked.

“Nah, going to work on that orb some more. We’re close, I just know it.” Tony said. 

Loki’s head popped up in alarm. That answered the question of the orbs existence, but what would happen if they messed with it? Would the wish reverse? Could he verify it happened in the first place?

“What about a day off, Tony?” Loki found himself suggesting without really thinking it through. But yes, this was good. Time together outside of their normal ‘work’ situation could be exactly what Loki needed to establish their relationship. 

Tony’s eyebrows raised and Loki sensed there was something in his gaze under the surprise, but Loki couldn’t discern it. 

“Great idea, Lokes. How about a movie day everyone?” As the team’s assents started to burst in, Loki’s hopes fell. The rest of the team would mean Tony in his social mode, his work mode, his ‘not alone with Loki’ mode. What was more, Tony’s offer was an obvious deflection of alone time. The wish didn’t work. Loki couldn’t be sure if he was more disappointed or relieved. Whenever he had tried to make his mark on the universe before he had failed spectacularly. This was really the least terrible outcome that could have occurred. Still, Loki couldn’t resist more time with Tony, so he was in too. 

******

Tony Stark was the most maddening, vexing, mixed-signals sending person Loki had ever had the misfortune to meet. On any other occasion he would be practically trembling with frustrated rage, but as he was currently smashed between his brother and the man in question on a far too small couch, Loki had to settle for frozen ire. 

Tony didn’t want to be alone with Loki, but the minute everyone entered the television room, Tony immediately claimed a space on the couch and practically dragged Loki to sit down next to him. So Loki sat and reveled in the shared heat of their thighs touching. Loki hadn’t really realized until then just how little they had touched before. A small hand-clasp, a nudge in the side, but nothing like this continuous sharing of space. 

However, Tony spent the entire time the movie was playing, and woe if Loki could remember a single detail about the film including its title, moving his hands constantly. Loki knew that the man couldn’t be still, but it had never been so evident when they weren’t doing anything but sitting and those hands were everywhere but on him! Oh but Tony wasn’t keeping his distance, not at all. The thigh touching had spread until Tony’s entire side was absolutely plastered against Loki. It was a nightmare. By the time the movie ended, Loki was so worked up he practically ran away. 

Loki didn’t want to sulk in his room alone, so he went to the lab. Loki was mulling over the orb and debating how terrible the ramifications would be if he just chucked it in a black hole when Tony walked in. 

“Hey there, running man. Did you really run out just to get back to work on this thing? This couldn’t possibly be why you were acting all jittery?” Tony asked, walking over to sit down by Loki.

Loki just shrugged; then, he figured screw it, and just threw the orb to the other side of the room. Tony yelped and went running to fetch it. But Loki hadn’t thrown it particularly hard so nothing was broken, including the relic itself. Stark looked chiding though, which allowed guilt to settle in with everything else Loki was feeling.

“Hey, I know being stuck sucks, but you don’t have to… wait, what’s this say? Wishes, huh?”

“Wait, you can read it?” Loki asked surprised. He didn’t realize it was in English. But maybe it translated no matter the person. That would make sense considering the power of the magic.

“Sure,” Tony hummed thoughtfully. “I’ve already got riches… damn it, you figured it out with magic, didn’t you?”

Loki laughed a bit at that and nodded. 

“I guess the wish is yours then,” Tony sighed, handing the ball back over to Loki.

“It doesn’t work anyways. We can just toss it in the junk pile,” Loki muttered darkly.

“How do you know?” Tony asked curiously, running his hands over the words that just stayed there mocking him. 

“Because like an idiot, I made a wish and it didn’t come true,” Loki burst out, collapsing on the sofa and burying his head in his hands before he could do something truly embarrassing like cry in front of Stark. 

Loki felt the sofa dip as Tony lay down beside him. “I’m sorry; that sucks,” Tony said, placing a comforting hand on Loki’s shoulder. It only made him feel worse.

“You don’t even know,” Loki moaned.

“Hey, I know it’s got to be breaking your heart,” Stark said and Loki looked up in shock, wondering how Tony could have possibly guessed. “I mean, you’re generally cool as a cucumber. I honestly haven’t seen you this upset since you were trying to blow everything up and take over the world. That wasn’t the wish, right?”

Loki actually laughed at that. It came out more like a sob, but it still lessened just a bit of that knot in his chest. Then he remembered what he actually had wished. How, if it had come to pass, it would have essentially taken away Stark’s free will, his ability to choose who he wanted, who he loved, and Loki felt like he was going to be sick.

“Please don’t,” Loki groaned, hiding behind his hands again.

“Don’t what?” Tony asked, pulling his hand back, misreading Loki’s distress. Loki wished he didn’t miss that warmth on his shoulder so quickly. 

“Don’t be so thoughtful and understanding,” Loki pleaded. 

Tony actually laughed. “I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who’s ever applied those adjectives to me.”

“Really, Tony. I’m a terrible person. I don’t deserve…” Loki cut off, not able to say it. 

“Hey,” Tony said, grabbing Loki’s shoulders and turning him so he was forced to look the man in his soft brown eyes. “You are one of my favorite people… period. I don’t let just anyone close. I don’t let just anyone in my lab. Now, let’s leave the self-recriminations to the professionals, shall we?”

“You don’t even know,” Loki repeated. 

“Then tell me. Loki, I think I’ve shown that no matter what you’ve done, I can forgive it. You just have to give me a chance.” Stark’s eyes turned pleading and Loki almost thought that he could actually forgive this. That Loki could say what happened and, in time, Tony might actually forgive him. 

“I can’t,” Loki bemoaned. 

“Well, then I’m sorry that you can’t trust me.” Tony didn’t look mad, just sad and it broke Loki’s heart that much more. 

“Please, Tony, it’s not that. I just… I can’t lose what I actually  _ do _ have of you.”

Tony frowned. “What do you mean ‘what you  _ do _ have of me?’”

Loki could have bit his tongue off. Hopeless fool. He’d given it all away anyways. Well, it wasn’t as if he didn’t deserve to lose Tony anyways. 

“I wished... “ Loki took a deep breath. He just needed to get it all out and then accept the repercussions. “I wished I could live in a world where you loved me.”

Tony stared at Loki in silence for so long that Loki started making moves to get up, to remove himself from the painful situation. There was nothing to be gleaned from Tony’s expression. It was frozen in surprise. Then suddenly, Tony laughed. Not just a chuckle, but he threw his head back with the force of it. Loki was just about to leave to get Dr. Banner to help determine if Tony had gone mad when Tony finally managed to stifle it enough to talk. 

“Bambi, you are an idiot,” Stark said, shaking his head. 

Loki wasn’t entirely sure what to say to that. He wasn’t wrong. But the words were said so fondly that Loki couldn’t tell how Tony really meant them. 

“So, you’re not angry with me then?” Loki asked, far more meekly than he thought he had ever been in his life. 

Stark’s smile softened into something achingly affectionate. It wasn’t a look that Loki ever thought he’d get from anyone, especially Tony. 

“No, Loki. I’m not mad.”

“I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t you be? I tried to take away your free will. I proved that I’m no different than I was those years ago. That I never really escaped being that person.”

“It’s not that at all. I know we have that saying, that the road to hell is paved with good intentions and it’s true, as I know you know. But that doesn’t mean that good intentions don’t matter. Your intentions here weren’t to hurt me or to control me. You were hurting. You thought that it was the only way you could be happy. And to be fair, in your scenario, we would both be happy. But you missed one crucial thing.”

“What?” Loki breathed. Tony was close now, really close. Loki could feel Stark’s warm breath on his face and he was frozen in fear that Stark would pull away. That this was all some set-up to teach Loki a lesson. 

“I already love you, you blind dope,” and with those affectionate words, Tony closed the spare inches between them to claim Loki’s lips in a kiss. 

The kiss seared into Loki’s bones, igniting him in a way he wasn’t sure he had ever felt. Such a kiss should have been deadly to a Frost Giant, but Loki felt the very opposite. He felt more alive than he had in years. He felt like he could do anything, could be anything. He had Tony. 

“Oh,” Loki marveled.

“A kiss like that and all you have to say is ‘oh’?” 

“You love me,” Loki managed. Tony smiled and kissed him again. They revelled in the warm feelings for several long, soft moments. 

“You wanted to change the whole of reality just to get me to love you,” Tony crowed gleefully completely breaking the romantic mood. 

“Of course you would find some way to turn this into further food for your ego, you arrogant bastard.” Loki responded, suddenly feeling much more himself. This was a known element; this he could deal with. 

“But you love me,” Tony sing-songed and kissed Loki again. 

“I do,” Loki sighed. “I wish…”

“I know.”


End file.
